By Hanako M. Ricks
HollywoodNews.com: After months of customer complaints regarding the size/weight restrictions for the “Forbidden Journey” ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it seems that some much needed changes have been made to the seating for the ride.
Banks Lee, the Harry Potter fan who kept a blog detailing his weight loss progress after he was unable to fit onto the ride’s seats, recently visited the park again after receiving a comment on his blog about the changes, and has verified that the seating has now been modified to accommodate larger riders. In his most recent blog post, he writes:

Decided to head out there today and test out the modified seats, and let me tell you, they are a much needed addition to Forbidden Journey! Let me explain the process of riding in a test seat. At the entrance to the ride, and right before the loading area, there are test seats. Used to be every person had to get three clicks in order to ride, and the restraint was not very forgiving for larger guests.
Now, with the addition of the modified seats, the test seat process has changed. When you sit down, there are three lights next to you; red, yellow, and green. As I stated earlier in the post, red=no ride, yellow=modified seat, and green=sit anywhere. If you get yellow and need a modified seat, once you get to the part before the loading platform where the second test seat is, the attendant will put you in the middle line, which is reserved for guests needing the modified seat.
Since there are only around 8 vehicles that currently have modified seating, you have to wait for one to come around. Once it does come you go to the loading platform, and choose either of the outside seats. The two middle seats are not modified. You still need three clicks to be able to ride, but they are now much easier to get, especially with the little extra room you have in the seat.
For the first time since the ride opened, I was able to get three clicks by myself. Granted, it was a modified seat, but it still felt good to not have to ask the attendant to push as hard as they can to make me fit. I’m actually very glad I was able to achieve my weight loss goal of fitting into a regular seat […]

By Hanako M. Ricks
HollywoodNews.com: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter hit a huge milestone today, as “The Forbidden Journey” ride – which was named “Best New Attraction” by Theme Park Insider – hit it’s one millionth rider. Inside the Magic has posted a great new promotional video for the attraction, and gives mention to both honors in the opening credits:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened a mere two months ago, so the fact that “The Forbidden Journey” has already had a million riders is quite an accomplishment! Aside from a few glitches, it has been consistently a hit amongst critics and fans alike; reports from both sides have repeatedly called the breakthrough ride “the best theme park rider ever”.
You can check out my own first-hand experience in the park and on “The Forbbiden Journey” here.
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By Hanako M. Ricks
HollywoodNews.com: The Forbidden Journey ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park has malfunctioned, trapping riders upside down, reports CF News 13.
The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal’s Islands of Adventure has malfunctioned, according to Orlando Fire.
Riders are trapped upside-down.
Orlando Fire and Rescue is on the scene.
More details will be provided as they become available.
UPDATE: As of 10:06pm EST, it is being reported that all 132 riders have been safely evacuated.
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HollywoodNews.com:Theme Park Insider announced the winners of their 9th annual Theme Park Insider Awards, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter spurred wins in two of the categories.
For Best Theme Park, Universal’s Islands of Adventures Park won the top honors, beating out runners-up Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney World. Theme Park Insider said of the park:
Propelled by the runaway enthusiasm for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including the Theme Park Insider Award-winning Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Universal’s Islands of Adventure reclaims the title as the nation’s top theme park by winning the 2010 Theme Park Insider Award.
As mentioned in the quote, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey won the Best New Attraction category by a wide margin. According to the site, Theme Park Insider’s readers not only gave the ride the highest ratings for any attraction that has debuted in the past year, but they also gave it the high distinction of being the best theme park ride in America.
The runners-up in this category were the World of Color attraction at Disney California Adventure, and Intimidator at the Carowinds.
Theme Park Insider is a fan site where visitors to theme parks can get the latest news, reviews, and discuss everything related to theme parks.
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HollywoodNews.com: It has been almost a week since the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the reviews from fans and critics alike have been mostly positive. Much has been said about the overall feel of the park, the authenticity and the care and detail that went into making the park a fully immersive experience into the world of Harry Potter.
However, there have been some reports from fans and critics in regard to the apparent size restrictions for the main attraction, the Forbidden Journey ride. The first known report came from HPANA fan site creator Jeff Guillaume, who commented that due to his size and stature he was unable to ride. This was followed by reports from other fans who stated that they, too, could not fit the rides. However, it has been difficult to determine just what the actual restrictions are: the ride itself only states a height requirement of 48″ minimum, and there has been no weight limit posted. The question of fitting into the rides seems to be a matter of girth around the abdominal area. There have also been concerns in various forums regarding women who are “top-heavy, as the ride employs an over-the-shoulder harness method to keep riders in their seats.

Riders can test the seats themselves; there are two “tester” seats within the queue for the Forbidden Journey ride, in which potential riders can check to see if the ride’s 3-lock safety mechanism will allow them to comfortably fit in the seat. It is not known at this time whether or not Universal will eventually adjust the seats to accomodate heavier patrons.
What do you think? Should the seats be adjusted, or kept as they are? I, for one, will be stepping up my exercise program for the next few weeks, as I will be visiting the park next month and have no plans to miss out on this ride.
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By Hanako M. Ricks
HollywoodNews.com: Universal Orlando has released a new video that showcases the highlights of this past weekend’s grand opening of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” which began last Wednesday with a Celebrity Preview before opening to the public on Friday.
The video includes clips of stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Tom Felton as they visit the shops of Hogsmeade, try out Butterbeer, and visit the grand structure of Hogwarts; it also includes “Potter” creator J.K. Rowling comparing her previous visits to the film set with the “completeness” of being surrounded by the village.
You can plan your vacation to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter by visiting the official website.